“You will get that intuition when it's time to take on the bowlers” - Rohit Sharma on the challenge of playing in England
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has admitted that batting in England is pretty challenging. He, however, added that if one is willing to be patient and can concentrate for long periods of time, big runs can be scored.
Rohit will lead India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which will be played at the Oval in London from June 7 to 11. Team India confirmed their berth in their second successive WTC final by defeating Australia 2-1 at home in Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March.
At an ICC event 'Afternoon With Test Legends’, also featuring Pat Cummins, Ross Taylor, and Ian Bell, the Indian captain shared his insights on the challenges of batting in English conditions.
"In England in general, it's pretty challenging conditions for batters. As long as you are prepared to have a good grind, you can have success," Rohit said.
The 36-year-old added that one is never completely ‘in’ as a batter in England due to the fluctuating weather conditions. Stressing the importance of concentration, Rohit commented:
"You need to keep concentrating for longer periods of time and you will get that intuition when it's time to take on the bowlers. More importantly, you need to be out there and you have got to understand what your strengths are.”
The right-handed batter went on to add that while he won’t try to emulate players who have been successful at the Oval, he will definitely study their scoring patterns.
"I am not going to try and emulate them (successful players) but it would be a bit nice to know their pattern of scoring. What I have found out at Oval is that the square boundaries are pretty quick,” Rohit elaborated.
Significantly, Rohit was the Player of the Match for his magnificent 127 in the 2021 Oval Test against England.
“Mentally you have to be very adaptable” - Rohit Sharma on switching formats
Sharing his thoughts on the challenge of switching formats, Rohit acknowledged that one needs to be adaptable and mentally ready.
The seasoned batter, whose form is a concern for India heading into the WTC final, stated:
"That (change of formats) certainly has been the challenging factor. You know you play multi-format. Mentally you have to be very adaptable and tweak your technique. You need to be talking to yourself and get mentally ready.”
Rohit has played six Tests in England, scoring 466 runs at an average of 42.36, with one hundred.